Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 1940. UNITED STATES ARMY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 251, 31 July 1940, Page 4

Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 1940. UNITED STATES ARMY.

Development of the naval and air forces of the United States has naturally occupied a great deal of attention in recent years, more especially since ominous happenings in Europe gave warning that armed conflict was drawing near. This concentration of effort was due to the fear that friction with Japan might develop, for, as "»s been said recently, Ameripans regarded the' British Navy as their best safeguard Atlantic waters. The P r< **P® ? actual invasion from the Old World ate remote, as Reichs-Marshal Goering pointed out the other day, but revelations of subversive activities, not only in the United States but also in Mexico and the South American republics, have created a fear that at least a hos tile Power might be able to carry internally, a campaign that would be decidedly harmful to the country. Realisation of the possibilitly of menace in this and other directions has resulted in a resolute effort being made to create an army capable of meeting the need for adequate defence. The weakness of the present position is shown by the fact that last year Congress authorised an increase in the regular army that would bring its strength up to 270,000 men —only about the size of Finland’s, as an outspoken expert said at the time. The units of this small force were scattered, a fact making efficiency impossible; an arrangement that was the first in the history of the United States in peace was only then being made for a partial assembly to undertake unified training. The personnel comprised excellent material and the equipment was good, but there was not enough of it, while the training in its use was quite inadequate. In fact, one authoritative statement said at the time, “if war came to-morrow or the day after, our army would not be able to make even so good a record as in the World War, when thirteen months after the (American) declaration, we had only one division in battle and only four in line.” Now, stirred to action by the menace that faces civilisation, it is intended to enrol and equip a million men every three months, the programme including compulsory regisaration and the calling up of drafts. According to officials there should be no difficulty in training a large force without vital effect on the economic life of the country, for it is estimated that 4,500,000 men without dependants and not engaged in essential tasks will be available.